It's just a Fairytale
by Iamsecretlynot
Summary: Rex's never cared for stories, until this one. rexsoka friendship slowburn and a lot of clone bromance.
1. Princess Sorrow

When he wakes, Rex knows he's nearly missed his turn at watch. His Commander told him to sleep, that she'd wake him when it was his turn. He should have known not to believe her, he'd have done the same thing.

He steps around his sleeping _vod _and the embers of a dying fire. Rex switched his helmet to night vision lest he trip and wake the entire campsite up. He'd made that mistake as a shiny once. Only his promotion as Captain and a company of new recruits had he lived that one down.

They'd set up camp in a cave just outside a suspected Seppie base. Ahsoka, Commander, made plans for an ambush in the morning. She would be leading the charge, which meant that she needed to sleep at some point.

Rex found her at the cave's mouth, staring up at the stars. The wind batted her Padawan braid against her montrals. Her lightsabers lie next to her knees, which she's tucked under her chin.

"Commander?"

She doesn't move. He tries again. "I'll take the next watch. Go sleep."

Her blue eyes find his and Rex is struck by how tired they are. She pats the ground beside her. "Sit with me, Rex?"

He hesitates.

"Please?"

He caves. Rex settled himself down beside her and lifted his helmet off. He set it down between them and ran a hand through his hair. The breeze felt nice. The combination of body heat and fire made the air inside the cave sticky.

He glanced at her. Ahsoka seemed meditative. Normally, he would have figured that she was concerned with the battle ahead or with some comment Skyguy made about her attitude. But her Master was nowhere in sight and she'd been very confident when creating the attack plan earlier.

"Do you like stories?"

"Sorry?"

She's distant, wrapped away in some other land. "Y'know. The make believe, the fantastical."

"We're clones," He comments dryly. "We're trained to fight and memorize orders, not stories."

She rested her head on her knees and turns it toward him. "C'mon Rexster. You can't expect me to believe that you didn't tell stories when you were a shiny." She's teasing him. Stars are in her eyes and moonlight against her sienna throat and her voice is too much for his brain to resist this late.

Gossip is normal in the GAR. Exaggerations about a clone's physical prowess or kill count. The Wolfpack ran that department. He'd heard more stories about Wolffe than he could count and it'd turned into something of a joke between him and Cody. They tried to swap them as often as they could. His favourites were the 'Wolffe walked into a bar' kind. Especially the ones his company came up with.

Cody dealt more with rumors. Being the highest ranked commander in the GAR meant that he came into contact with a lot of secrets. Military and Jedi alike. Maybe half of them were fake, but Rex laughed so hard he cried at 'Master Yoda is just a puppet that you wheel around'.

His vod loved to speculate about their commanders and Jedi. Each unit had their own set of inside jokes and stories. The 501st teased their token Arc Troopers and made up scenarios about 'snips' and 'skyguy', the 212st and Wolfpack set their commanders on pedestals. The 327th, Bly's battalion, had an ongoing bet about when Master Secura and Kit Fisto would get together. But if anyone asked, they'd snarl about how their leader would never forsake the code and shame on you for suggesting it.

Rex knew they talked about him. The chosen one, Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker's Captain. His own men wondered about his Jaig Eyes and what could he have done for the Kamino trainers to bestow them. Cody had shipped out before he got them and none of his squad mates survived the first battle long enough to be questioned. That only made the whispers grow. A Captain, treated as an equal by a ranked Marshall Commander, and a female Padawan as his CO. He'd wonder too if he were them. Cody never brought them up. Not even when the rumors began.

Rumors that he had something special on the side with his Commander…

Rex shoved that out of his head and picked something less volatile. "When I was a shiny, one of the nicer trainers used to put on holonet bounty hunter shows for my group. A lot of the vod named themselves after their favourites."

He doesn't mention after hours, when his group would sneak back and try to copy their moves. They'd freeze fight scenes and reenact tackles. His squad liked to tackle him, until he memorized their moves. Then he would ambush them.

A few of his squadmates named themselves the group comedians. They'd stop a Hunter and his rescued damsel mid-kiss and raise their voices to a squeaky pitch, mocking them. Or rate the damsels. Usually Twi-leks or Togrutas.

Her eyes crinkle. "Cute."

His cheeks warm. There had been a few Togrutas who weren't civilians. The Trainer showed a few special episodes called 'don't underestimate the enemy' which delved into Mandalorian female warriors and the violent Togruta women. The Trainer, assumingly, wanted the troops to not underestimate a species. His squadmate Check dragged him to that midnight session of freeze screen.

He'd emerged with a new understanding of the female figure and an admiration for the Togruta. Nothing he wanted to hash out in front of his commander. Rex swallowed. "Cute?"

"Did you name yourself after your favourite bounty hunter?"

"No, my favourite wasn't male."

"Really?" She raised her eyebrows and Rex realised his mistake. "They had female bounty hunters?"

"One episode did." Rex said. Ahsoka shifted so that she was facing him, her foot on his thigh. "We were so used to the Kamino women, it was a game changer for a lot of the vod."  
"Especially for you?"

Good Force, what was up with her tonight? He should have been alone by now, watching the town and wondering if tomorrow would be his last fight. Not encouraging a tired padawan, his commander, in whatever mind game she was playing.

"I-i liked her fighting style," He muttered. "She carried dual blasters."

"My Captain? Looking up to a woman?" She's goading him, he doesn't miss her smirk. She's been spending too much time with Fives and Jesse, di'kutla's. Rex played along,

"Why do you think we get along so well?"

Her eyes widened and her montrals look darker than normal. Boldened, he pushes back. "Why did you ask?"

Ahsoka grabbed his helmet and lifted it into her lap. "I used to go to the Jedi Archives. For reports and to look up lightsaber techniques."

She rubbed some dust off its front. "And sometimes I'd look up Fairytales."

"Fairy Tales?"

"Legends. Ancient ones of honor and dragons and beautiful princesses and their knights ..." She glanced at him. "We weren't allowed to read them. Jocusta Nu feared that they promoted attachments. She didn't want to introduce doubt into the younglings minds."

Rex rolled his eyes. "And of course, that only made you want to read them."

She grinned. "You do know me well Rextser."

"You're Anakin's padawan." He deadpanned. "Anakin likes risk takers."

She's tracing his jaig eyes, her fingers dragging up and down its loops. "Mmm. Wanna hear one?"

He exchanges his view of her hands for the seppie base. It's still dark and he can faintly hear the clankers moving. "I was supposed to change watch with you hours ago."

"I couldn't sleep and I won't be able to now." She dismisses his statement. "Please?"

The west is still clear. If he had his helmet, he could scout out some routes down with his night vision. But he doesn't and his bucket is cradled in ahsoka's arms. He relents. "One story, then you'll sleep."

She nods, stars in her eyes. "One."

"A short one." He wasn't going to be tricked into talking all night, no matter how nice that sounded.

Another nod. "A short one."

"Promise?"

She makes a fist. "The force is my witness." It hovers over her heart. She drops it and returns her hand to the Jaig eyes. She thinks for a moment, nose scrunched in concentration. Then she speaks, barely above a whisper, forcing Rex to lean in to hear her.

"There once was a King who was dying. His only surviving heir was a daughter, Princess Sorrow."

"The legend don't say why she was called Sorrow. Maybe her mother died birthing her or they thought she would be a male, a warrior. One version claims that she was born while a plague wrecked her country. Another said that she brought shame upon her mother for wanting to fight."

"Which version do you like?" Rex asked her hands.

They flexed and curled into his helmet. "Don't interrupt the storyteller, Rexster. That's an order." She softened the last sentence so it sounded more like a joke than an ultimatum.

He smirked, marking his question for later. "Yessir."

Her foot tapped his leg and then she pulled it back.

"His advisors told him she must marry, least the neighboring kingdoms come and swallow them up. The king called for a tournament, for all eligible men to come and try to win her hand. From all over men of all stations and species came. Warriors, Princes, Knights, even the Hutt's sent a representative to compete. There's something about a fight and a Princess that gets ones adrenaline going."

"The King divided the tournament into three sections. Strength, wills, and wits. The men would have to escape a timed maze, beat a poisoned cup roulette, and a mystery challenge mandated by the Princess herself. Over 500 men entered the tournament and by the time to duel arrived only two stood."

Rex raised his eyebrows. He had a feeling Ahsoka was skipping parts in the story. What sort of maze and cup guessing game would destroy that many men? Her comments on the Princess's name made him think that she was picking pieces out of different versions of the tale and just told her favourite bits. He made another mental note.

"The first, a famed warrior from Naboo. He'd passed the poison cup with flying colors and had been the first to emerge from the Maze. The warrior served with the Queen of Naboo's royal guard and stood to retire with a sizeable fortune."

"The second was a nobody. A masked knight who entered the tournament on the coin of the boy he saved from a stampede of horses. He broke the rules and drank from every cup until he found the right one. He moved on only because he didn't fall over dead from that much poison in his system. He escaped the maze with only a second to spare and the warrior towered over him. It was clear to the Princess who her advisors favoured."

She paused, taking a moment to recollect her thoughts.

"The Warrior and Knight kneeled in front of the Princess and waited for her challenge. She took a moment and looked them over. The Warrior was clean, dressed in a cape of regal purple and his boots shone to put the sun to shame. The Knight was caked in mud and grime. The only clean part of him were his honest eyes, which peered out from a mask of black mail.

She addressed the crowd. 'Who will vouch for these men's character?'"

"A thousand voices camoured to vouch for the Warrior. They filled the air with tales of his wealth and parties, his combat skills and awards. She waited until each one had spoken. Then a mother stood. She told of how the knight saved her son from the Warrior's runaway horses and how he'd brought him to her although the gates to the tournament were closing. He risked his chance to rule to make sure my son was safe and that seemed like King Behavior to her."

"This was enough for the Princess. She told her people that a king must be willing to serve his people first or else they'd put a tyrant into power. She declared that the Knight had won her hand, to the consternation of her advisors."

"The King called for a wreath of flowers and men to lift the Knight off her feet. For a band to play and a priest to betrothe the two. The Knight thanked the King, but said there was no need for such honors. He had no wish to marry the Princess. A temptress had cast a spell over him requiring him to change three fates, as punishment for refusing her. It was clear to him Princess Sorrow did not want to get married and he had a lady of his own waiting for his curse to be broken. Having spurned all the King's rewards and her hand, the Knight turned to go."

"The Princess caught his cape and bowed at his feet. 'Knight, you may be bound to another and it is true that I do not wish to belong to anyone. But in winning my hand, I am now indebted to you. Let me join you on your quest and pay back my debt. Then I will return to my people and marry.'"

"I thought she didn't want to marry." Rex interrupted.

Ahsoka thumped his helmet. "Her people didn't know who she was. If she tried to rule, insurgents would overthrow her and replace her with some man or woman they knew. The Advisors wanted to prevent that by having her marry someone the people knew."

Rex scratched his head. "The Knight could make her a hero. Someone people know."

"And she wouldn't have to marry." Ahsoka confirmed.

Rex chuckled. "And the Jedi thought this promoted attachments how?"

Her face blanked and her montrals flushed. She stood and brushed off her leggings. "You'll see." She handed him his helmet. "Night Rex."

He blinked and turned after her. "You haven't finished the story!"

"You said be quick!"

"Not that quick!"

She yawned, her canines glinting as she stretched. "That's what you get for interrupting me, Rexster."

He clambered up after her and grabbed her wrist. "What does he say? Does he let her come with them?" He demanded.

Belatedly, Rex realises that he's closer than normal and her head is nearly level with his. If he bent his head a little and if she stood on her toes….

Her fingers pry at his and he relaxed his grip. For a moment, they intertwine.

"I guess you'll just have to live another day to find out, Rexster."


	2. Gossip Dec

He found his company in the 212st barracks.

The party has already been going on for hours. Clones in all colors of armor and markings sat at tables and roamed the floors. Red cups clenched tight in their hands as they cheered on clones engaged in an arm wrestle.

The Wolfpack guarded the drink station. Wolffe sat in the middle of them, his blaster laid across his knees and a bottle in his hand. They looked like a mass of gray in between the sea of blue and orange armor.

Wolffe saw him and inclined his bottle to the right. Rex followed it with his eyes and spotted what he was looking for. A tight circle of five clones in blue and orange armor.

Rex nodded his silent thanks. He'd never been that close to Wolffe. Never as a Shiny, his squad tended to keep to themselves. Wolffe, assigned to Plo Koon, disappeared into dangerous missions and bombing runs.

General Skywalker and Kenobi liked fighting together and the council felt the missions went better if Kenobi was there. Thus, it was rare that he met other clone troopers outside of the rare mission or briefing. He vaguely remembered Ahsoka saying something about Plo Koon bringing her to the Jedi temple. Plo Koon had rescued Ahsoka, but Rex didn't know if that made Wolffe and her anything.

Not that he would care. Rumors of Wolfe were only of his droid count. Nothing of improper relations between him and a Jedi Padawan. Ashoka never mentioned him either. Ashoka wasn't doing a good job responding to him either at the moment.

Her half finished fairy tale had been bothering him. Their ambush on the base had been a successful one. So successful that it called Ashoka and General Skywalker away to Coruscant to receive praise from the senate and left the clones free to party. Rex couldn't though. The tale of princess sorrow and her newfound knight kept him up at night. He'd lay there in his bunk, staring up at the ceiling as Ahsoka's soft voice replayed from his helmet. When she fiddled with his helmet, she'd accidentally hit the record button that he used to film his mission reports. Because of her error, he could hear the story as much as he liked. Which was a lot.

Rex had commed her two days ago asking for the name of the story. She hadn't responded. Normally, she did. Her response time didn't usually bother Rex. He understood that padawans and commanders have different duties and expectations of them to fulfill. A comn about a silly story would not be highest priority for her right now. But he _needed_ to know what happened next. He had already tried searching the holo net for Princess sorrow and the other word fairytale. All he could find were links to sketchy catinas and stage names for twi'lek dancers. Nothing about a togruta princess. So when he'd refreshed his hud for the fifth time in a minute and she still hadn't responded, Rex knew he needed a distraction. This party would have to do.

He weaved his way around the partying clones until he found their table. It was tucked into the end of a wall. While it didn't allow for a quick escape, it gave them a view of everyone in the party.

Cody smiled and raised his bottle when he spotted Rex. "What, did the reports get bored with you?" He teased.

Rex removed his helmet and clasped his shoulder. "It's good to see you, vod." He glanced around the circle. Fives and Echo, inseparable as always. Kix and Jesse, each of their hands full of cards. "Who's winning?"

Jesse shrugged. "Probably Kix. I dunno." He took Kix's stack and cracked them against his. Kix swiped it back with a scowl. "Wanna get dealt in?"

Rex grinned. Kix and Fives had a pile of credits beside their empty bottles. They'd been at it for a while. "I don't have any credits on me."

Jesse bent the deck into a bridge and watched the cards fall. "Neither do we. Those two won a bet. We're playing Gossip dec."

Gossip dec. One of the 212st vod came up with it. You take turns flipping cards and whoever has the highest gets to ask one question to one person. No wonder his group were so far away from the rest. It was one thing to reveal Fives's secrets, it became another when Kenobi's cautious Marshall Commander revealed something. The one rule of Gossip dec was that they couldn't reveal base locations or classified information. But if they were drunk enough…

He could already see some heads turning. A commander and a captain playing Gossip dec. A good many bets could be fulfilled if they stuck close. A big pile of credits for Fives and Kix meant that the odds were against them. If they won, the secret must have been big. And unlikely.

Information. Gossip. Stories. Ahsoka.

"I'll play."

Rex sat down in between Fives and Cody. He removed his gloves and stashed them in his pocket. Rex placed his helmet underneath his chair like his brothers did. Echo passed him a bottle of whatever they were drinking. It didn't look like Beer. Rex cracked it and sniffed. Fruity.

"It's just juice, Captain." Kix reassured him, his eyes on the cards. "Cody made the mistake of letting the Wolfpack take care of the drinks."

The absence of alcohol was curious. Why would Wolffe guard a table full of non-alcoholic drinks? It made Rex relax slightly. If his brothers were sober, it meant that the gossip dec was tame tonight. No regulation threatening secrets would be spilled. He'd still be cautious.

Cody laughed. "You aren't going to let me live this down aren't you?"

"You told the Wolfpack to get the drinks!"

"They don't normally help! I thought it'd be good for them..."

"Now you know why!"

Fives hiccuped and leaned towards Rex. He boomed in what he assumed was his stage whisper, Five's breath hot against his neck. "It's just me and you, Captain. They're all _cheaters_."

Rex looked at him, amused. "You sure this isn't spiked?"

Echo rolled his eyes. "No, the sugar went straight to his head. Vod, you suck at cards."

Fives straightened, his eyes bright. "Liar!"

"Who'd you win the credits from?" Rex asked, attempting to distract him. As funny as it was watching the best friends fight, Echo didn't need a sugar inebriated vod screaming in his ear.

Jesse cut the deck and started dealing it out. "Commander Bly played earlier."

"And?"

Jesse winked. "He's got a minor crush on a _certain_ Jedi."

Rex raised an eyebrow. "I thought the rumors were about Fisto and Secura."

"No one said there can't be multiple rumors," Kix shrugged. "That wasn't what Bly lost on either."

Rex watched his cards collect in front of him. He knew that Kix would be unwilling to elaborate further on Bly's secret. He would want to keep his advantage for another game of gossip dec. Or blackmail.

Echo looked at his hand. "There are many rumors about the Jedi."

There it was. He could feel their eyes on him as he checked his cards. He could hear them, the rumors about him. About his jaig eyes and his role as the chosen ones captain. Not a commander, but a Captain leading the 501st. About his special relationship with the Commander. He was sure there were more rumors. More stories that hadn't reached his ears. Rex had no intention of admitting any truth in them.

Echo readied his card towards Rex. As the newcomer, he'd have to play all of them in succession in order. That was the way of gossip dec. Rex took another swig. Tossed down his card.

An ace. A two. He'd lost.

"Do you know when the Commander's coming back?" Echo asked him.

"No idea." He tossed back more of the juice. Wiped his mouth. Laughed. It came out darker than he'd intended. "Echo, you didn't need to waste a turn on that."

His men traded glances. Jesse coughed. "Sir?"

"We're playing Gossip dec." _I know the rumors. _He tapped his cards against the table. _They're afraid to ask. _Stared them down each in turn, waiting until the other looked away. _No, they're starting it slow. Easing me into it. _Cody kept his head down. Rex expected that from him, he was Kenobi's commander. He waited a moment, to fully let his message sink in, then gestured. "Who's next?"

Cody opened his mouth and stopped as a pair of arms wrapped around Rex's neck. "I hoped I'd find you here."

"Commander! How did you get here?" Her arms prevented him from standing, her chin rested on his shoulder. Her lekku pressed into his hair, scraping it as she moved. Ahsoka smelled like corroded metal and dust. Like she'd spent a day traveling on a crowded transport.

He could hear more than see her smile when she spoke. "Shhh. You'll alert the whole barracks."

Rex glanced around. The room had emptied out somehow after he'd arrived. His table was the only place full of clones. His eyes landed on hers. They were brighter than usual. Bright blue. Or perhaps he'd never had the chance to look at them this close. They stood out against her sienna skin. "Where is everyone?"

"Wolffe's turned the place into a fighting match."

Cody groaned. "That's what I explicitly told him not to do!"

Kix opened his mouth.

"Don't say I told you so." Cody warned.

Kix closed it.

Rex barely heard them as he focused in on her voice. She sounded tired. She was way too close to him and this was against regulations and he didn't realise how much he missed her.

"Wolffe let me sneak in. I told him I needed to talk to you."

So that was why Wolffe was guarding the table. It was closest to the door. "You could have just commned me." _Why haven't you commed me back_? Was what he wanted to say but didn't. He had a million things he wanted to say to her. Not all of them would have been appropriate in front of his men.

"Some things are better said in person."

She shifted, standing up so that only her arm rested on Rex's shoulder. And that's when he spotted it. A purplish bruise on her forearm. "You're hurt."

Kix stood up, concern dripping off of his person. "Let me see it."

He moved forward and Ahsoka waved him off. "I'm okay guys. I just came to see Rex, not a medic."

Fives took a long sip of juice. His eyes didn't leave Rex's.

Rex desperately wished his helmet wasn't under the table, blocked by Ashoka. Kix smirked. "A bacta pack isn't going to keep you from looking at him. Let me help you. "

Ahsoka hesitated, then nodded. Kix reached for his med pack under his seat. Kix started up his usual monolgue about stupid Jedi Healers and how if they treated their soldiers properly maybe the the war would be over sooner. Rex couldn't even hear him. As soon as Kix turned his back, Ahsoka had picked Rex's arm up and held it over his head.

If they hadn't been watching him before, they were now. Rex twisted his head around to look up at her. "Ahsoka?"

She produced a marker and tore the cap off with her mouth. "Stay still." She spread his fingers and started writing something.

The ink felt nice against his palm. A little ticklish. If his men weren't staring him down, he would have relaxed. She kept her voice low as she spoke. "This should bring you what you seek."

Rex lowered his voice. "I thought that you and General Skywalker were receiving honors from the senate. You shouldn't have gotten a bruise from that."

"Oh, you know us. We keep busy." Ahsoka flashed him a smile.

The marker seemed to be moving slower the more he watched it. "You know...there's a more efficient way to do this."

"Like?" She furrowed her brows.

"Like answering comns." So maybe her unresponsiveness had bothered him more than he liked to admit. "It's more professional."

She held the marker away from him and squinted at her handiwork. "I like this way better."

She squeezed his hand and his heart leapt. Then released it. He slipped his hand under the table before Cody could see it.

Kix brought a bacta pack over and applied it to her arm. "Give it a day and it'll be as if it never happened." He promised.

Ahsoka twisted her arm to examine It. "Thanks Kix. I'll let you guys get back to your fun." Her eyes dropped to Rex. "Almost forgot. Master wanted to see you. Something about your last report?"

Rex fished under the table for his helmet and yanked it on. He scanned his hud. Nothing. He looked at Ahsoka, but she was already walking away.

"Always something to do." He said blandly. "Sorry boys. We'll have to finish this game another day."

Fives picked up his bottle. "Sure we will."

It was a challenge. Rex did not take it, stepping quickly away from his men. He opened his palm.

_Tales of the Land. _


	3. Jedi Archives

Rex's search for 'tales of the land' had led him to the Jedi Archives. All searches for it on the holonet had pointed him here, describing it as a relic of the past. Apparently it was an oral story passed down by the Togruta to their children. Some historian had thought it wise to compile it into a book for others to read. However, the only written copy currently in existence could be found within the Jedi Archives. Which is where Rex knew Ahsoka thought he would stop. The Jedi Archives were located at the Jedi Temple where the younglings trained and the Jedi Council met. As a Clone Trooper, he had no business being there without a Jedi. He would have to convince Ahsoka to let him in or wait for her to tell him the rest of the story.

He knew she was counting on him stopping. It had taken him a little while to catch on, but now it was clear. Her appearance in his barracks, the refusal to answer the comns, the cryptic writing on his palm. There was no way she was intending on him actually finding the rest of the story. She probably thought that if she embarrassed him in front of his men or had to face a Jedi librarian that he'd leave it alone. He didn't know why she wouldn't want him to know the rest of the story. She had been the one to tell it to him in the first place!

Well, he'd show her. He didn't serve under General Skywalker for nothing. He earned his Jaig eyes and force knows he'd earn that ending.

The force. Since when did he call on the force? He'd unpack that later. Right now, he had a Jedi Archives to sneak into it.

Rex slipped past a column. There were a few clone troopers loitering about. Red armor and batons. Commander Fox's troopers no doubt. After the break into the Jedi Archives a couple of months ago, the Jedi Council had decided that increased security might be a wise idea. Rex only knew about it because Ahsoka had been one of the Jedi involved in stopping the intruders. He also knew from Ahsoka that the Archive's keeper was not happy about increased clone supervision. Jocasta Nu had been caring for and protecting the ancient collection for years without help. She did not appreciate intrusion into her space.

The door was right in front of him. Rex scanned it. No passcode. The clone troopers had their back to him, bent over a data pad. Probably illegal videos downloaded from the holo net. If Commander Fox saw them, they would receive a severe tongue lashing and a month of latrine cleaning. Rex took advantage of their distraction and slipped inside.

The Jedi Archives was just as he imagined. Rows of books and holonet stations surrounding a reception desk in the middle of the room. It's high ceilings allowed for several stories of this layout, with balconies for browsers to peer over. Three round stained glass windows lit the entire room, creating a gloomy atmosphere with bright blue holonet screens. Rex never thought this much knowledge could feel so oppressive.

Before Rex could make his next move, the resident in charge made it for him. She appeared like a ghost out of nowhere, an arms length from him.

"State your business here trooper." Jocasta Nu was a lot scarier up close. A pair of sticks held her white hair into a tight bun. Her eyes were very clear for an old lady. Clear and grey like steel. Rex had an uncomfortable feeling looking into them. Like she was searching his soul.

He looked at her hands. She carried a thick book close to her chest. He spotted the title peeking out from her arm and his heart leaped. Tales of the Land stared back at him. Just out of his reach.

"Hmm. Blue armor." She looked him up and down. Obviously she thought he was taking too long to respond. "I would assume by your karma that you are one of Skywalker's men. His captain perhaps?"

Rex found his voice. "Yes, Ma'am. My name is Rex."

"Number?"

"CT-7567."

"If it is Commander Fox's men you seek, you'll find them back the way you came CT-7567." Miss Nu moved on past him, her robe swishing at her feet. She was probably about to shelve the book when he arrived. Her dismissal of his name in favor of his number spoke volumes. She did not care for troopers and she did not care for Rex. This was his cue to exit. To forget all about the ending and Princess Sorrow. He could put on his helmet and take his blasters and hit the barracks training grounds. He could shoot targets or lift weights or read reports or lecture Fox's men on inappropriate holo net surfing.

He could see Ahsoka's hands on his helmet. "_Do you like stories Rex?" _ Her soothing voice, her winning smile. "_I guess you're just gonna have to live another day to find out." _ Her arms around his neck, the marker scratching his palm. He could see the taunt in her eyes as she left the story unfinished, the name unexplained, the story untold. She wasn't Anakin's padawan for nothing. Reckless girl. He'd show her.

Rex squared his shoulders and stepped towards her. "Actually, I came to find you, Master Nu."

She paused. "Me?"

"I am looking for a book called 'Tales of the Land'," Rex pointed at her. "I believe that is it."

She turned the book in her hands, looking at it like she had never seen it before. Then she fixed her clear eyes on him. "How would a clone like you learn of fairy tales?"

"My commander told me of it." Mind as well tell the truth as he'd already thrown himself into this mess.

"A clone commander knows fairytales?"

"I am General Skywalkers Captain. My commander is his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano."

Her eyes widened in recognition. "Now that is a name I know. How is young Ahsoka? She doesn't visit as much as she used to."

"Commander Tano has been very busy lately. She's a good leader," Rex answered. Ahsoka was more than that, but he figured Master Nu wouldn't appreciate flowery adjectives. Especially not from a clone. "She… she told me this story before a battle to lift my spirits." A slight lie. He hoped the force wouldn't alert her to that. It was true that she told him the story. He had his doubts about her intentions behind telling him the story. This Jedi didn't need to know that.

Master Nu smiled. "It would be like Ahsoka to share that. She's always been very in tune with her emotions. She used to check out that story when she was a youngling. Bariss would research her herbs and force healing while Ahsoka snuck away to the fairytale section."

Rex could see her now. A tiny Ahsoka ducking in between shelves, her tiny arms clutching the book close to her chest. Her legs crossed neatly in front of herself as she flipped through the pages. Her furrowed brows as she sounded out the words. The image tugged on his heart. "Snuck away?"

"I do not approve of fairy tales. They promote attachments and other things our code will not tolerate," Master Nu said bluntly. "I keep them only as a reminder of the past. They are not usually open to check out."

He felt like he was on a battlefield talking to her. Blasters firing around him, screaming men and droids, deafening explosions. The same adrenaline in his blood, the steady calm in his head, the clearness of his heartbeat. These were things that kept him alive on the battlefield. He wouldn't have thought that this simple request would bring out such strong emotions in him. "With your permission, I would like to check that book out."

"Whatever for?"

"To boost morale," He said. That was a new thought. Master Nu did not seem to be immediately opposed to the idea. She seemed to study him anew at his suggestion. Her clear eyes lingered on the jaig eyes stenciled onto the helmet clipped to his karma. They both knew what those represented.

"I am listening." Master Nu said.

"I fought better when Ahsoka first told me the tale. I felt emboldened by the bravery and intelligence displayed by Princess Sorrow and her knight. Their story made me want to live."

Those clear grey eyes softened.

"I would like to give that feeling to my men."

"You have presented your case well for a clone."

Rex waited.

"I will let you take this book. Ahsoka Tano helped me in my time of need. If you fail to return it, I expect her to give you hell."

"I will return it to you safely." After making voice recordings or copies of it. He wasn't going to forget this story. Maybe he could convince Ahsoka to read it to him. If she wasn't being weird. He still needed to talk to her about that.

Master Nu placed the book into Rex's hands. It was heavier than it looked, weighing down in his hands. He shifted it in his arms so that his elbow cradled it. The lettering on the title seemed to glint back at him.

"Thank you Ma'am," Rex dipped his head. "I have been looking forward to hearing the ending." He moved to leave.

"Princess Sorrow? There isn't an ending to that story."

He stopped. "What?"

"There is no true ending to that story," Master Nu tucked her arms inside her robe. "Since Princess Sorrow was passed down through families, many variations of the tale exist. Her story varies based on the clans. The historian who first recorded the tale recorded every variation he encountered, whether it was complete or not."

This…. might explain why Ahsoka didn't want to tell him the ending.

Rex swallowed his disappointment. "So it's possible that the ending doesn't exist?"

"Which ending do you seek?"

"There is one where the knight enters a tournament for the princess..." Rex stopped as Master Nu's mouth formed a small 'o'.

"I'm afraid that I have some bad news for you," She said. "Clone, this book is damaged."


End file.
